Repeating camera.



J. N. JOHNSON.

REPEATING CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED H8. 1, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO-HQVASHINOTONJI. c.

I ed January UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. JOHNSON, OF ALBUQUERQUE, NEV MEXICO.

REPEATING CAMERA.

Application filed February 7, 1914.

To all whom it may concern.-

'Be it known that I, J OHN U. Jonnsox, citizen of the United States, residing at Albuquerque, in the county of Bernalillo and State of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Cameras, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cameras and more specifically to the type of cameras commonly known as repeating or magazine cameras, which are provided with a motor operated mechanism for automatically shifting the film after each actuation of the shutter, so that a number of snap-shots may be taken in rapid succession.

In my former Patent No. 1,083,748, grantth, 1914, I have disclosed a camera of this general type requiring a special form of film having notches at spaced intervals in one of its edges with which a stop, controlling the motor operated mechanism, co-acts. The shutter f the camera and this stop are successively actuated by two pneumatically operated pistons, the stop being raised from its engagement with a notch in the film permitting the motor to automatically shift the film until second notch reaches the stop. The stop is then forced into engagement with this notch and stops the motor.

The general object of the present invention is to eliminate the necessity for a special form of film adapting the camera for use with the ordinary form of film rolls now on the market.

I am aware that magazine cameras operating on this general principle are known, but the present invention has for its object to generally improve the construction and arrangement of the mechanism which controls the shifting of the film, so that the same may be operated by a fluid pressure operated piston whereby a more accurate, direct and positive running mechanism is produced.

Another object of my invention is to positivelyprevent the double exposure of a portion of the film, which object I attain by interposing in the duct which supplies fluid pressure to the piston which operates the shutter. a normally closed valve which is maintained open during the operation of the motor and also if the motor does not operate upon the actuation of the shutter.

lVith these and other objects in view, my

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

Serial No. 817,132.

invention consists of the particular arrangements and constructions, the particular features of which will be brought out to advantage in the detail description and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanyin drawing, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention associated with the ordinary form of camera, but it is to be undcstood that the camera shown herein is adapted for use with suspension devices such as I have shown in my former patent above referred to, whereby the camera while held in one hand may be actuated to take a seri s of snap shots in rapid succession.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a repeating camera constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of Fig. 1, the side of the casing being removed to clearly show the operating mechanism, the bellows and shutter of the camera being omitted; 3 is a section taken on the line of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view sir ilar to Fig. the parts being shown in the position they assume while the film is being advanced, the shutter and associated mech: iism being shown disconnected from the camera; and 5 is a detail of the mechanism for manually winding the re ceiving spool.

Referring first to Fig. 1 in which I have shown an ordinary form of camera, 1 designates broadly the box of the camera, 2 the bellows and 3 the usual shutter mechanism,

the camera being of the folding type, but it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to all forms of camera. lvfounted within this box are the usual spools i and 5, the spool 4t being the supply spool, which carries the fresh roll of film and the spool 5 being the usual receiving spool upon which the exposed film is wound. The spool 4 is provid d with the usual trunnions, one of which is mounted in a fixed bearing (not shown), while the other trunnion is rotatably supported in the yieldingly mounted bearing 3, which permits the empty spool to be displaced longitudinally of its axis, removed and replaced by a spool carrying the fresh roll of film, the back of the box 1 being removable to give access to the spools. The receiving spool 5 is similarly mounted and trunnion 9 carried by the spool is provided with a pin which rotatably connects position in which the ball valve 43 is in closed position, the tension of the spring 47 being sufficiently stronger than the tension of the spring 48 to permit the lever M to be moved upward to close the valve against the tension of spring 48. If, however, the piston 30 is moved upwardly from its normal position as shown in Fig. 2, it will move the stop rod 27 upwardly which will then be locked in its upper position by the engagement of one of the teeth 46 with the latch 45. WVhen the rods are locked together, the tension of the spring 47 is negligible as it merely holds the two rods in locked engagement with each other and the spring +l8 will therefore move both rods downwardly to open the valve 43, a stop 48 being provided to limit the downward movement of the two rods which stop engages with the under side of the latch 45, The upward movement of the stop rod 27 is controlled by a stop 49, the end of the rod 27 being provided with an offset pin 50 which engages between the bifurcated portions of a forked 1 lever 51 pivotally mounted on the box 1,

which lever is adapted to engage with the stop 49 to limit the upward movement of the rod 27. It may here be noted that the stop rod 27 is preferably provided with three teeth 46 although two are sufficient, and if the movement of the piston 30 is not suflicient to bring the end of the extension rod 26 out of engagement with the fan 22, the first tooth 46 will engage with the latch'4e5 andthe spring 48 will then move both levers 27 and a4 downwardly a sufficient distance to open the valve 43. This feature of the invention is an important one for if for any reason the pressure created by pressing the bulb 40 should be sufiicient to actuate the shutter mechanism, but not to raise the piston 30 a suflicient distance to release the fan 22, the valve 4E3 will nevertheless be'opened and will therefore prevent a further actuation of the shutter mechanism, even if the bulb -&0 should again be pressed. until the rods 27 and ll have been released from engagement with each other. This construction will therefore prevent any possibility of a double exposure of a portion of the film. In order to lift the rod 27 should it be engaged by the tooth a6 a manually operable lever 52 is provided, which is pivotally mounted on the casing the inner end of which is adapted to engage with a lug 52 carried by the rod 27, while the outer end of the lever extends exteriorly of the casing and is provided with a finger portion. Vhen this finger portion is depressed the stop rod 27 is raised a sufficient distance to release the vane or fan 22 from the end of the rod 26 whereby the motor may act to shift the film.

Referring now to the mechanism which automatically releases the rod 27 from its engagement with the valve rod 44: to again permit it to be forced into engagement with the fan 22 by the tension of the spring 4:7, this mechanism is controlled by the length of the film unwound from the supply spool 4 v in the following manner :Rollers 53 and 54 whose axes are parallel to theroller *l are arranged adjacent to the spool &, the rollers 53 and being out of alinement with the plane of a film 55 which passes underneath the roller 53 and over the roller 5i, the film then passing over an idle roller 56 to the receiving spool 5. The rollers and 5% are preferably covered with rubber or some other material which together with the bend in the film will, while the film is being wound on the spool 5, prevent the same from slipping over these rollers. However, the bend in the film is not sufliciently abrupt to prevent the film from slipping over the rollers when the rollers are locked in position as will be later referred to. The rollers 53 and 54: are geared together by means of pinions 5G and 57 respectively, the shaft of the pinion 57 carrying a pinion 57 which meshes with a gear wheel 58, the ratio of the gears 57 and 58 being such, that for one complete revolu tion of the gear 58, the length of film necessary for a new exposure will have passed over the roller 54: and it is for this reason that the rollers 53 and 5% are preferably coated with rubber to prevent the film from slipping when passing over them. The gear wheel 58 carries a pin 59 which is adapted to engage with an offset lug 60 carried by the rod 27. The normal position of the pin 59 and lug 50 with respect to each other is shown in Fig. 2, but when the piston 30 moves the rod 27 upwardly into engagement with the latch a5, the lug 60 is moved into the path of the pin 59 and as the exposed film is being wound on the spool 5, the gear wheel 58 will be rotated COLUltQY-ClOCliWlSG until the pin 59 has completed one revolu tion and presses against the lug (50 to move the rod 27 out of engagement with the rod e'e-i. T he forked lever 51 has a projecting lug 62 which engages with the teeth of the pinion 56 to hold the rollers 53 and 5t and the gear wheel 58 against rotation, except when the motor operated mechanism is shifting the film; 2'. 0. when the stop rod 27 has moved the forked lever 51 to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The operation of the camera is as follows: 1

Assuming that the parts are in their normal positions as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a fresh film roll carried by the supply spool l is inserted into the camera The strip of paper fastened to the end of the film is inserted beneath the roller 53 and over roller 5% and the end of the strip pulled forwardly and fastened to the empty receiving spool 5, the strip slipping over the rollers 53 and 54, which are locked against rotation by the lug l h i l mechanism for advancing the fi normally closed valve disposed in the connectionsto the piston for actuating the S ter and means controlled by the forfadvancing. the film to open prevent a second actuation oi until the mechanism has beeno 2., In a camera, a shutt r, motor means including two fluid pressure operated pistons for respectively actuating he shn i controlling the starting of the motor, a roller over which the film passes, and means associated with said roller for controlling the stopping of the motor.

3. In a camera, a. shutter, motor op rated mechanism for advancing the Elm, means including two fluid nrcss are operated pistons for respectively actuating the shutter and controlling the starting of the motor, and means for preventing a second operation of the piston for actuating the shutter until the motor operated mechanism has advanced the film.

4. In acamera, a shutter, motor operated mechanism for advancing .the film, fluid pressure operated pistons and connections for the same for successively actuating the shutter and controlling said mechanism, and means interposed in said connections for opening the same after the actuating of the shutter and maintaining said connections open until the motor operated mechanism has advanced the film.

5. In a camera, a motor operated mechanism for advancing the film, a movable member for controlling the starting and stopping ofthe motor, manually operable means for moving said member to permit said motor to start, and means including two rotatable rollers between which the film passes for controlling the movement of said member to stop the motor when a determined length of film has passed between said rollers, said rollers being arranged to bend the film as it passes therebetween.

6'..In a camera, a shutter, motor operated mechanism for advancing the film, a movable member for controlling the star ing and stopping of the motor, fluid pressure means for successively actuating the shutter and moving said member to permit the motor to start, a normallyclosedvalve located in said fluid pressure means and a member associated with said first named movable member for controlling said valve.

7. In a camera, a shutter, motor operated mechanism for advancing the film, a movable member controlling the starting and stoppingof said motor, means including means for lock' 1115111 L01 ill .i ,a movable memher for conti i starting and stopping of the motor. ans for normally maintaining said member in motor stopping position, mania J operable means to nove said member to control the starting of said motor, a latch for maintaining said member in its moved pocnzion, a roller over wl ch the film passes, and means controlled by the passage of a prede ermined length of film over said roller for releasing said member from said latch whereby said member automatically moves to its motor stopping position.

9. In a ca ie a, a motor operated mechanism for ad i "ncing the film, a movable memher for controlling the starting and stopping of the motor, means for normally maintaining said member in motor stopping position, manually operable means to move said member to control the starting of said motor, a latch for maintaining said member in its moved position, a roller over which the film passes, means controlled by the passage of a predetermined length or film over said roller for releasing said member from said latch whereby said member automatically moves to its motor stopping position, and m ans for maintaining said roller locked against rotation when said member is in its motor stoppin position.

10. In a camera. a shutter, a motor opcrated mechanism for advancing the film, a movable member for controlling the starting and stopping of said member, means normally urging said member to motor stopping position, manually operable means for successively actuating said shutter and for moving said member to control the starting of the motor, a second movable member,

said members together in a plurality of ch. ercnt positions upon movement of said first named member, said first named member permitting the operation of the motor in one 01. its locked positions and preventing it in another, spring for moving said members when locked together, and meanscontrollcd by said second named mem- Jer for preventing asecond actuation of the shutter until the first named member has been disengaged from said second named member.

11. In a camera, a shutter, a motor operated mechanism for advancing the film, a movable member for controlling the starting and stopping or said member, means normally urging said member to motor stopping position, manually operable means for successively actuating said shutter and for mov ing said member to control the starting of the motor, a second movable member, means for locking said members together in a plurality of different positions upon movement together, .ineans named memhei ond actuation of the named men passing over members when sain a position to ing and sto h normally m-v 1 fve cents each,

ing said member to control the starting of the motor, respectively, and manually operahle means for moving said memher to motor starting position independently oi the fluid pressure.

15 In camera, a shutter, motor operated mechanism for ad*a*ancing the film, two members, one -for operating the shutter the other cr controlling; the motor, means "for snece r'elv actuating said me nhers. a roller over which said film passes and means asea ciated with said roller for controlling the 7 no; of the motor.

1\;. In a camera. a shutter, motor oper ted mechanism alvancina' the film sepl a e memhers for actuating the shutter and or controlling; the operation of the motor, EGSDGCtlVGlY, and means for prcwentina the second operation of the memher actnatinrt the shutter until the motor operated mechanism has advanced the filn 17. In combination, a camera adapted to ontain a roll of sensitized mater al and lifillifi; shutter opewu'inp; means, a motor ieans operated thereln for shifting ,ensitised material, means for ante- .l Y controlling the operation of the 0 shift the film after each exposure,

i manually operable means for controlthe motor at w'll independcntl of tie natic control.

Witness whereof, I subscribe my signa ire, in the presence of two witnesses.

JCHN ll. JOHN ashington, D. G. 

